The Isle of Wight Festival 1970 was a music festival held between 26 and 31 August 1970 at

Afton Down Afton Down is a chalk down near the village of Freshwater on the Isle of Wight. Afton Down faces Compton Bay directly to the west, while Freshwater is approximately one mile north. It was the site of the Isle of Wight Festival 1970, where the ...

, an area on the western side of the

Isle of Wight The Isle of Wight ( ) is a Counties of England, county in the English Channel, off the coast of Hampshire, from which it is separated by the Solent. It is the List of islands of England#Largest islands, largest and List of islands of England#Mo ...

in England. It was the last of three consecutive music festivals to take place on the island between 1968 and 1970 and often acknowledged as the largest musical event of its time, with a larger attendance than

Woodstock Woodstock Music and Art Fair, commonly referred to as Woodstock, was a music festival held during August 15–18, 1969, on Max Yasgur's dairy farm in Bethel, New York, United States, southwest of the town of Woodstock, New York, Woodstock. ...

. Although estimates vary, ''

Guinness World Records ''Guinness World Records'', known from its inception in 1955 until 1999 as ''The Guinness Book of Records'' and in previous United States editions as ''The Guinness Book of World Records'', is a reference book published annually, listing world ...

'' estimated 600,000 to 700,000 people attended. It was organised and promoted by local brothers, Ron and Ray Foulk through their company Fiery Creations Ltd and their brother Bill Foulk. Ron Smith was site manager and Rikki Farr acted as compere. The preceding

Isle of Wight Festival The Isle of Wight Festival is a British music festival which takes place annually in Newport on the Isle of Wight, England. It was originally a counterculture event held from 1968 to 1970. The 1970 event was by far the largest of these earl ...

s, also promoted by the Foulks, had already gained a good reputation in 1968 and 1969 by featuring acts such as

Jefferson Airplane Jefferson Airplane was an American rock band based in San Francisco, California, that became one of the pioneering bands of psychedelic rock. Formed in 1965, the group defined the San Francisco Sound and was the first from the Bay Area to ach ...

T. Rex ''Tyrannosaurus'' is a genus of large theropod dinosaur. The species ''Tyrannosaurus rex'' (''rex'' meaning "king" in Latin), often called ''T. rex'' or colloquially ''T-Rex'', is one of the best represented theropods. ''Tyrannosaurus'' liv ...

the Move The Move were a British rock band of the late 1960s and the early 1970s. They scored nine top 20 UK singles in five years, but were among the most popular British bands not to find any real success in the United States. For most of their car ...

the Pretty Things ''The'' () is a grammatical article in English, denoting persons or things that are already or about to be mentioned, under discussion, implied or otherwise presumed familiar to listeners, readers, or speakers. It is the definite article in ...

Joe Cocker John Robert "Joe" Cocker (20 May 1944 – 22 December 2014) was an English singer known for his gritty, bluesy voice and dynamic stage performances that featured expressive body movements. Most of his best known singles were recordings of son ...

the Moody Blues The Moody Blues were an English rock band formed in Birmingham in 1964, initially consisting of keyboardist Mike Pinder, multi-instrumentalist Ray Thomas, guitarist Denny Laine, drummer Graeme Edge and bassist Clint Warwick. The group c ...

(performed at the 1969 festival),

the Who The Who are an English rock band formed in London in 1964. Their classic lineup consisted of lead singer Roger Daltrey, guitarist and singer Pete Townshend, bass guitarist and singer John Entwistle, and drummer Keith Moon. They are conside ...

, and

Bob Dylan Bob Dylan (legally Robert Dylan, born Robert Allen Zimmerman, May 24, 1941) is an American singer-songwriter. Often regarded as one of the greatest songwriters of all time, Dylan has been a major figure in popular culture during a career sp ...

in his first performance since his 1966 motorcycle accident. Many excerpts from this festival have appeared on record and video.

Artists lineup

The 1970 version, following Woodstock in the previous year, set out to move one step forward and enlisted Jimi Hendrix. With Hendrix confirmed, artists such as

Cactus A cactus (, or less commonly, cactus) is a member of the plant family Cactaceae, a family comprising about 127 genera with some 1750 known species of the order Caryophyllales. The word ''cactus'' derives, through Latin, from the Ancient Gre ...

Chicago (''City in a Garden''); I Will , image_map = , map_caption = Interactive Map of Chicago , coordinates = , coordinates_footnotes = , subdivision_type = List of sovereign states, Count ...

the Doors The Doors were an American rock band formed in Los Angeles in 1965, with vocalist Jim Morrison, keyboardist Ray Manzarek, guitarist Robby Krieger, and drummer John Densmore. They were among the most controversial and influential rock acts ...

, Lighthouse,

Miles Davis Miles Dewey Davis III (May 26, 1926September 28, 1991) was an American trumpeter, bandleader, and composer. He is among the most influential and acclaimed figures in the history of jazz and 20th-century music. Davis adopted a variety of musi ...

Joan Baez Joan Chandos Baez (; born January 9, 1941) is an American singer, songwriter, musician, and activist. Her contemporary folk music often includes songs of protest and social justice. Baez has performed publicly for over 60 years, releasing more ...

, Joni Mitchell, Jethro Tull,

Sly and the Family Stone Sly and the Family Stone was an American band from San Francisco. Active from 1966 to 1983, it was pivotal in the development of funk, soul, rock, and psychedelic music. Its core line-up was led by singer-songwriter, record producer, and multi ...

Ten Years After Ten Years After are a British rock group, most popular in the late 1960s and early 1970s. Between 1968 and 1973, the band had eight consecutive Top 40 albums on the UK Albums Chart. In addition, they had twelve albums enter the US ''Billboar ...

Emerson, Lake & Palmer Emerson, Lake & Palmer (informally known as ELP) were an English progressive rock supergroup formed in London in 1970. The band consisted of Keith Emerson (keyboards), Greg Lake (vocals, bass, guitar, producer) and Carl Palmer (drums, percu ...

and

Free Free may refer to: Concept * Freedom, having the ability to do something, without having to obey anyone/anything * Freethought, a position that beliefs should be formed only on the basis of logic, reason, and empiricism * Emancipate, to procur ...

also took part. The event had a magnificent but impractical site, since the prevailing wind blew the sound sideways across the venue, and the sound system had to be augmented by the Who's own PA. Organizers also faced the logistical problems involved in transporting some 600,000 people onto an island with a population of fewer than 100,000. The Island's transport services were already stretched by the annual influx of summer holiday-makers at the same time. French anarchists armed with knives were already causing trouble on the ferry crossing. Political and logistical difficulties resulted in the organisers eventually realising that the festival would not make a profit and declaring it to be "a free festival", although the majority of the audience had paid for tickets in advance, and the event was filmed contemporaneously. The commercial failings of the festival ensured it was the last event of its kind on the Isle of Wight for thirty-two years.

Planning difficulties

The opposition to the proposed 1970 festival from the residents of the Isle of Wight was much better coordinated than it had been in previous years. The Isle of Wight was a favoured retirement destination of the British well-heeled, and a haven of the

yacht A yacht is a sailing or power vessel used for pleasure, cruising, or racing. There is no standard definition, though the term generally applies to vessels with a cabin intended for overnight use. To be termed a , as opposed to a , such a pleasu ...

ing set, and many of the traditional residents deplored the huge influx of "

hippie A hippie, also spelled hippy, especially in British English, is someone associated with the counterculture of the 1960s, originally a youth movement that began in the United States during the mid-1960s and spread to different countries around ...

s" and "freaks". This led to the introduction of sections to the "Isle of Wight County Council Act 1971" designed to control any further large overnight gatherings. Renting a few acres of suitable farmland to hold a music festival had in earlier years been a simple commercial matter between the promoters and one of the local farmers, but by 1970 this had become subject to approval decisions from several local council committees who were heavily lobbied by residents' associations opposing the festival. As a result of this public scrutiny, the preferred ideal location for the third Festival was blocked, and the promoters in the end had no choice but to accept the only venue on offer by the authorities: East Afton Farm,

. One unintended result of this choice of location was that, since it was overlooked by a large hill, a significant number of people were able to watch the proceedings for free.

Performances

26 Wednesday

Judas Jump Judas Jump was a British short-lived progressive rock supergroup, formed in 1969. The band released one album and three singles before disbanding in 1971. They are best known for their various members who had success before and after Judas Jump ...

: A heavy

progressive rock Progressive rock (shortened as prog rock or simply prog; sometimes conflated with art rock) is a broad genre of rock music that developed in the United Kingdom and United States through the mid- to late 1960s, peaking in the early 1970s. Init ...

band featuring

Andy Bown Andrew Steven Bown (born 27 March 1946) is an English musician, who has specialised in keyboards and bass guitar. He is a member of the rock band Status Quo. Career Bown's first major band was The Herd, along with Peter Frampton. After The ...

and

Henry Spinetti Enrico Antonio Giorgio Spinetti (born 31 March 1951) is a Welsh session drummer whose playing has featured on many prominent rock and pop albums. Career Spinetti was born in Cwm, near Ebbw Vale, Monmouthshire, Wales. His first band, aged abou ...

of the Herd and Allan Jones of Amen Corner. *Kathy Smith: A Californian singer-songwriter, signed to

Richie Havens Richard Pierce Havens (January 21, 1941 – April 22, 2013) was an American singer-songwriter and guitarist. His music encompassed elements of folk, soul (both of which he frequently covered), and rhythm and blues. He had a rhythmic guitar styl ...

' label, "Stormy Forest", was well received. *

Rosalie Sorrels Rosalie Sorrels (June 24, 1933 – June 11, 2017) was an American folk singer-songwriter. She began her public career as a singer and collector of traditional folksongs in the late 1950s. During the early 1960s she left her husband and began trav ...

: Another folk musician, accompanied by David Bromberg on guitar. *

David Bromberg David Bromberg (born September 19, 1945) is an American multi-instrumentalist, singer, and songwriter. David Bromberg biographyat Billboard.com An eclectic artist, Bromberg plays bluegrass, blues, folk, jazz, country and western, and rock ...

: Bromberg was not on the bill, but he performed a set. "Mr. Bojangles" was included on the album ''The First Great Rock Festivals of the Seventies''. *

Kris Kristofferson Kristoffer Kristofferson (born June 22, 1936) is a retired American singer, songwriter and actor. Among his songwriting credits are "Me and Bobby McGee", " For the Good Times", "Sunday Mornin' Comin' Down", and " Help Me Make It Through the Ni ...

: Performed a controversial set. Due to poor sound, the audience was unable to hear his set, and it appeared that they were jeering him. He was eventually booed off the stage because the audience could not properly hear his song "Blame It on the Stones" and ignorant members of the audience assumed he was criticising the Rolling Stones and the whole youth movement. "It was a total disaster," Kristofferson recalled. "They just hated us. They hated everything. They booed us, Joni Mitchell,

Sly Stone Sylvester Stewart (born March 15, 1943), better known by his stage name Sly Stone, is an American musician, songwriter, and record producer who is most famous for his role as frontman for Sly and the Family Stone, playing a critical role in the ...

; they threw shit at Jimi Hendrix. At the end of the night, they were tearing down the outer walls, setting fire to the concessions, burning their tents, shouting obscenities. Peace and love it was not." *

Mighty Baby Mighty Baby were an English band formed in January 1969 from the ashes of The Action. They released two albums, ''Mighty Baby'' (which appeared in December 1969, but had been recorded almost a year earlier) and ''A Jug of Love'' (October 1971 ...

psychedelic rock Psychedelic rock is a rock music Music genre, genre that is inspired, influenced, or representative of psychedelia, psychedelic culture, which is centered on perception-altering hallucinogenic drugs. The music incorporated new electronic sound ...

band.

27 Thursday

Gary Farr Gary Anthony Farr (19 October 1944 – 29 July 1994) was a British folk/blues singer best known as the founder and lead vocalist of the T-Bones, a British rhythm and blues band active primarily in the early to mid-1960s. After the break-up of ...

: The brother of festival promoter Rikki Farr, Gary had been the front man of the T-Bones, an R&B combo that featured

Keith Emerson Keith Noel Emerson (2 November 1944 – 11 March 2016) was an English keyboardist, songwriter, and record producer. He played keyboards in a number of bands before finding his first commercial success with the Nice in the late 1960s. He became ...

on keyboards. By this time, he had become a solo artist, and his second album, ''Strange Fruit'', for CBS Records, had been released in 1970. *

Supertramp Supertramp were an English rock band that formed in London in 1969. Marked by the individual songwriting of founders Roger Hodgson (vocals, keyboards, and guitars) and Rick Davies (vocals and keyboards), they are distinguished for blending ...

: Their eponymous debut album was released a month prior to the festival. * Andy Roberts' Everyone *Ray Owen: Ray Owen ex- Juicy Lucy vocalist *Howl: Scottish hard-rock band formerly known as the Stoics, featuring

Frankie Miller Francis John Miller (born 2 November 1949) is a Scottish rock singer-songwriter and actor. Miller wrote for and performed with many recording artists and is best known for his 1977 album ''Full House'', the singles "Be Good To Yourself", " D ...

Black Widow Black widow may refer to: Spiders * Black widow spider, a common name for some species of spiders in the genus ''Latrodectus'' American species * ''Latrodectus apicalis'', the Galapagos black widow * ''Latrodectus curacaviensis'', the South Amer ...

: a British band that wrote songs about Satan worship in their 1970 debut LP, ''Sacrifice'' *

Groundhogs The groundhog (''Marmota monax''), also known as a woodchuck, is a rodent of the family Sciuridae, belonging to the group of large ground squirrels known as marmots. The groundhog is a lowland creature of North America; it is found through mu ...

: English

blues rock Blues rock is a fusion music genre that combines elements of blues and rock music. It is mostly an electric ensemble-style music with instrumentation similar to electric blues and rock (electric guitar, electric bass guitar, and drums, sometimes w ...

ers *

Terry Reid Terrance James Reid (born 13 November 1949) is an English rock vocalist and guitarist. He has performed with high-profile musicians, as a supporting act, session musician, and sideman. Biography Reid was born in Paxton Park Maternity Home, L ...

: The English singer performed with

David Lindley David Lindley may refer to: * David Lindley (musician) (born 1944), American musician * David Lindley (physicist) (born 1956), British theoretical physicist and author * David Lindley (badminton), see 2009 All England Super Series – Mixed doubles ...

. The set was released on CD in 2004. *

Gilberto Gil Gilberto Passos Gil Moreira (; born 26 June 1942), is a Brazilian singer-songwriter and politician, known for both his musical innovation and political activism. From 2003 to 2008, he served as Brazil's Minister of Culture in the administratio ...

and

Caetano Veloso Caetano Emanuel Viana Teles Veloso (; born 7 August 1942) is a Brazilian composer, singer, guitarist, writer, and political activist. Veloso first became known for his participation in the Brazilian musical movement Tropicalismo, which encomp ...

: Brazilian

Tropicália Tropicália (), also known as Tropicalismo (), was a Brazilian artistic movement that arose in the late 1960s. It was characterized by the amalgamation of Brazilian genres—notably the union of the popular and the avant-garde, as well as the ...

musicians . * Gracious!: A British

band.

28 Friday

* Fairfield Parlour: They had recorded a single called "Let The World Wash In", released under the name I Luv Wight, which they hoped would become the festival's theme song. They had also previously recorded as Kaleidoscope. *

Arrival Arrival(s) or The Arrival(s) may refer to: Film * ''The Arrival'' (1991 film), an American science fiction horror film * ''The Arrival'' (1996 film), an American-Mexican science fiction horror film * ''Arrival'' (film), a 2016 American science ...

: Their set included a

Leonard Cohen Leonard Norman Cohen (September 21, 1934November 7, 2016) was a Canadian singer-songwriter, poet and novelist. His work explored religion, politics, isolation, depression, sexuality, loss, death, and romantic relationships. He was inducted in ...

song. * Lighthouse: This Canadian act performed two sets at the festival. *

Taste The gustatory system or sense of taste is the sensory system that is partially responsible for the perception of taste (flavor). Taste is the perception produced or stimulated when a substance in the mouth reacts chemically with taste recepto ...

: Guitarist

Rory Gallagher William Rory Gallagher ( ; 2 March 1948 – 14 June 1995) was an Irish guitarist, singer, songwriter, and producer. Due to his virtuosic playing, but relative lack of fame compared to some others, he has been referred to as "the greatest ...

had a blues trio from 1966 to 1970. This was one of their final shows, which was filmed and recorded. An album, '' Live at the Isle of Wight'', was released of their set in 1971. Their set is featured on the ''Taste: What's Going on – Live at the Isle of Wight 1970'' DVD & Blu-ray released in 2016. *

Tony Joe White Tony Joe White (July 23, 1943 – October 24, 2018), nicknamed the Swamp Fox, was an American singer-songwriter and guitarist, best known for his 1969 hit " Polk Salad Annie" and for " Rainy Night in Georgia", which he wrote but which was first ...

: Performed hits including "

Polk Salad Annie "Polk Salad Annie" is a 1968 song written and performed by Tony Joe White.
Its lyrics describe t ...

"; his drummer was

Cozy Powell Cozy Powell (born Colin Trevor Flooks; 29 December 1947 – 5 April 1998) was an English rock drummer who made his name with major rock bands and artists such as The Jeff Beck Group, Rainbow, Michael Schenker Group, Gary Moore, Robert Plant, ...

. Tony Joe's entire set was released in 2006 on ''Swamp Music'', a Rhino Handmade collection of his Monument recordings. *

Chicago (''City in a Garden''); I Will , image_map = , map_caption = Interactive Map of Chicago , coordinates = , coordinates_footnotes = , subdivision_type = List of sovereign states, Count ...

: Their set included "

25 or 6 to 4 "25 or 6 to 4" is a song written by American musician Robert Lamm, one of the founding members of the band Chicago. It was recorded in 1969 for their second album, ''Chicago'', with Peter Cetera on lead vocals. Composition In a 2013 interview, R ...

," "Beginnings" and " I'm a Man." *

Family Family (from la, familia) is a group of people related either by consanguinity (by recognized birth) or affinity (by marriage or other relationship). The purpose of the family is to maintain the well-being of its members and of society. Idea ...

: Their set included "The Weaver's Answer," which had become their signature song. *

Procol Harum Procol Harum () were an English rock band formed in Southend-on-Sea, Essex in 1967. Their best-known recording is the 1967 hit single "A Whiter Shade of Pale", one of the few singles to have sold over 10 million copies. Although noted for t ...

: Frontman

Gary Brooker Gary Brooker (29 May 1945 – 19 February 2022) was an English singer and pianist, and the founder and lead singer of the rock band Procol Harum. Early life Born in Hackney Hospital, East London, on 29 May 1945, Brooker grew up in Hackney ...

commented that it was a cold night. "Salty Dog" was included on ''The First Great Rock Festivals of the Seventies'' album. *

The Voices of East Harlem The Voices of East Harlem was an African-American vocal ensemble of up to 20 singers, aged between 12 and 21. Founded as a community initiative in 1969, the group performed with top soul and R&B musicians and recorded four albums in the early and ...

: An ensemble of singing school children from

East Harlem East Harlem, also known as Spanish Harlem or and historically known as Italian Harlem, is a neighborhood of Upper Manhattan, New York City, roughly encompassing the area north of the Upper East Side and bounded by 96th Street to the south, F ...

New York City New York, often called New York City or NYC, is the most populous city in the United States. With a 2020 population of 8,804,190 distributed over , New York City is also the most densely populated major city in the U ...

. Their set received several standing ovations. *

: Two songs from their set were featured on the LP ''The First Great Rock Festivals of the Seventies''. *A showing of the Murray Lerner film ''

Festival A festival is an event ordinarily celebrated by a community and centering on some characteristic aspect or aspects of that community and its religion or cultures. It is often marked as a local or national holiday, mela, or eid. A festival co ...

''.

29 Saturday

John Sebastian John Benson Sebastian (born March 17, 1944) is an American singer-songwriter, guitarist and harmonicist who founded the rock band The Lovin' Spoonful. He made an impromptu appearance at the Woodstock festival in 1969Lovin' Spoonful Loving may refer to: * Love, a range of human emotions * Loving (surname) * '' Loving v. Virginia'', a 1967 landmark United States Supreme Court civil rights case Film and television * ''Loving'' (1970 film), an American film * ''Loving'' ( ...

guitarist

Zal Yanovsky Zalman Yanovsky (December 19, 1944 – December 13, 2002) was a Canadian folk-rock musician. Born in Toronto, he was the son of political cartoonist Avrom Yanovsky and teacher Nechama Yanovsky (née Gemeril), who died in 1958. He played lead guit ...

made a surprise guest appearance. *

Shawn Phillips Shawn Phillips (born February 3, 1943) is an American singer-songwriter and musician, primarily influential in the 1960s and 1970s. His work is rooted in folk rock but straddles other genres, including jazz fusion and funk. Phillips has rec ...

: This American folk musician performed an impromptu solo set following John Sebastian. * Lighthouse (second set) * Joni Mitchell: Played a controversial set; following her performance of "

", a hippie named Yogi Joe interrupted her set to make a speech about the people at the festival in an encampment built of straw bales known as

Desolation Row "Desolation Row" is a 1965 song by the American singer-songwriter Bob Dylan. It was recorded on August 4, 1965, and released as the closing track of Dylan's sixth studio album, ''Highway 61 Revisited''. It has been noted for its length (11:21) and ...

. When Joe was hauled off by Joni's manager, the audience began to boo until Mitchell interrupted her own set to chastise the audience and make an emotional appeal to "give us he artistssome respect". Contrary to popular belief, Joe was not the man who was ranting about a "psychedelic concentration camp". That was another incident that took place the previous day. After the crowd quieted down, Mitchell closed her set with " Both Sides Now" and returned to the stage for an encore singing two more songs for an appreciative crowd. Her set is featured on the DVD Joni Mitchell Both Sides Now: Live at the Isle of Wight Festival 1970, released in 2018. * Tiny Tim: His rendition of "

There'll Always Be an England "There'll Always Be an England" is an English patriotic song, written and distributed in the summer of 1939, which became highly popular following the outbreak of the Second World War. It was composed and written by Ross Parker and Hughie Ch ...

" can be seen in the film ''

Message to Love ''Message to Love'' is a feature documentary film of the Isle of Wight Festival 1970. Directed and produced by Murray Lerner, the film includes performances by popular rock acts, such as Jimi Hendrix, the Who, and the Doors, as well as folk an ...

''. *

: A DVD of his complete set was released in 2004. "Call It Anythin'" was included on ''The First Great Rock Festivals of the Seventies'' album. *

: British blues rockers performing what was basically a reprise of their famous Woodstock set. Highlights included "I'm Going Home" and "I Can't Keep From Crying Sometimes," which was featured on the album ''The First Great Rock Festivals of the Seventies'' and the film ''

''. *

: This was their second gig. ''

Pictures at an Exhibition ''Pictures at an Exhibition'', french: Tableaux d'une exposition, link=no is a suite of ten piano pieces, plus a recurring, varied Promenade theme, composed by Russian composer Modest Mussorgsky in 1874. The piece is Mussorgsky's most famous pia ...

'', which featured the

Moog synthesizer The Moog synthesizer is a modular synthesizer developed by the American engineer Robert Moog. Moog debuted it in 1964, and Moog's company R. A. Moog Co. (later known as Moog Music) produced numerous models from 1965 to 1981, and again from 2014 ...

, was the centerpiece of their historic set. Commercially released as '' Live at the Isle of Wight Festival 1970'' in 1997. *

The Doors The Doors were an American rock band formed in Los Angeles in 1965, with vocalist Jim Morrison, keyboardist Ray Manzarek, guitarist Robby Krieger, and drummer John Densmore. They were among the most controversial and influential rock acts ...

: Their set was shrouded in darkness due to

Jim Morrison James Douglas Morrison (December 8, 1943 – July 3, 1971) was an American singer, poet and songwriter who was the lead vocalist of the rock band the Doors. Due to his wild personality, poetic lyrics, distinctive voice, unpredictable and e ...

's unwillingness to have movie spotlights on the band. Their performances of "

The End The End may refer to: Films * ''The End'' (1953 film), a film by Christopher Maclaine * ''The End'' (1978 film), a comedy by Burt Reynolds * ''The End'' (1997 film), a Canadian film of 1997 * ''The End'' (1998 film), a skateboarding document ...

" and " When the Music's Over" are featured in ''

''. As described in Morrison's biography, ''

No One Here Gets Out Alive ''No One Here Gets Out Alive'' (1980) was the first biography about Jim Morrison, lead singer and lyricist of the L.A. rock band the Doors. Its title is taken from the Doors song "Five to One", and the book is divided into three sections: ''The B ...

'', wind, bad weather, and the cold made their performance even harder. Bootleg recordings of the performances and audio exist, alongside a 2015 remastered release by Doxy Records which has been made available on Spotify. A live version of " Break On Through (To the Other Side)" was featured in the soundtrack for ''

When You're Strange ''When You're Strange'' is a 2009 music documentary film about the American rock band the Doors. It was written and directed by Tom DiCillo and narrated by Johnny Depp. The film begins with the band's formation in 1965, its development over the n ...

''. Their set is featured on the Doors: Live at the Isle of Wight Festival 1970 in a combo DVD/CD – Blu-ray/CD & DVD – Blu-ray released in 2018. *

The Who The Who are an English rock band formed in London in 1964. Their classic lineup consisted of lead singer Roger Daltrey, guitarist and singer Pete Townshend, bass guitarist and singer John Entwistle, and drummer Keith Moon. They are conside ...

: Their entire set, including the rock opera ''

Tommy Tommy may refer to: People * Tommy (given name) * Tommy Atkins, or just Tommy, a slang term for a common soldier in the British Army Arts and entertainment Film and television * ''Tommy'' (1931 film), a Soviet drama film * ''Tommy'' (1975 fil ...

'', was released in 1996 on CD ('' Live at the Isle of Wight Festival 1970''). Two years later their set appeared on DVD with significant cuts from ''Tommy'' and a few other songs (such as "Naked Eye") missing. *

: The showstoppers of

performed to a tired audience on the early morning of Sunday. However, the audience woke up for spirited renditions of "

I Want to Take You Higher "I Want to Take You Higher" is a song by the soul/ rock/ funk band Sly and the Family Stone, the B-side to their Top 30 hit " Stand!". Unlike most of the other tracks on the '' Stand!'' album, "I Want to Take You Higher" is not a message song; i ...

", " Dance to the Music" and "

Thank You (Falettinme Be Mice Elf Agin) "Thank You (Falettinme Be Mice Elf Agin)" is a 1969 song recorded by Sly and the Family Stone. The song, released as a double A-side single with " Everybody Is a Star", reached number one on the soul single charts for five weeks, and reached num ...

", which featured Sly on guitar. "Stand" and "You Can Make it if You Really Try" appeared on the album ''The First Great Rock Festivals of the Seventies''. Prior to their encore, another political militant decided it was time to make a speech and the booing audience started to throw beer cans onto the stage.

Freddie Stone Freddie Stone (born Frederick Jerome Stewart, June 5, 1947) is an American pastor and musician, best known as a co-founder, guitarist, and vocalist in the band Sly and the Family Stone, fronted by his brother Sly and including his sister Ros ...

was hit by a flying can and an angry Sly decided to skip the encore. He did promise a second appearance, but this never occurred. *

Melanie Melanie is a feminine given name derived from the Greek μελανία (melania), "blackness" and that from μέλας (melas), meaning "dark".Woodstock Woodstock Music and Art Fair, commonly referred to as Woodstock, was a music festival held during August 15–18, 1969, on Max Yasgur's dairy farm in Bethel, New York, United States, southwest of the town of Woodstock, New York, Woodstock. ...

veteran played a well-received set as the sun rose. Prior to her set,

Keith Moon Keith John Moon (23 August 19467 September 1978) was an English drummer for the rock band the Who. He was noted for his unique style of playing and his eccentric, often self-destructive behaviour and addiction to drugs and alcohol. Moon grew ...

offered her some moral support and encouragement. Not until afterwards did Melanie realise who he was. Her performance of her own song, "What Have They Done to My Song Ma", was included in a 2010 French documentary, spanning the 1970 and 2010 I.O.W. festivals, called ''From Wight to Wight'' and first shown on TV station ARTE, on 30 July 2010.

30 Sunday

*Good News: American acoustic duo wit
Larry Gold
on cello and Michael Bacon on guitar. *

(second set). For his second set he was warmly received. He came on with a bigger band and joked when he took the stage: 'Well, I'm back but this time I've brought some bodyguards'. Two of his songs from his sets were included on the album ''The First Great Rock Festivals of the Seventies''. *

Ralph McTell Ralph McTell (born Ralph May, 3 December 1944) is an English singer-songwriter and acoustic guitar player who has been an influential figure on the UK folk music scene since the 1960s. McTell is best known for his song " Streets of London" (196 ...

: Despite an enthusiastic reception from the audience, he did not play an encore, and the stage was cleared for Donovan. *

Heaven Heaven or the heavens, is a common religious cosmological or transcendent supernatural place where beings such as deities, angels, souls, saints, or venerated ancestors are said to originate, be enthroned, or reside. According to the bel ...

: British jazz-influenced rock band, managed by Rikki Farr. *

: Their set list consisted of "Ride on a Pony", "Mr. Big", "Woman", "The Stealer", "Be My Friend", "Fire & Water", "I'm a Mover", " The Hunter", their classic hit "

All Right Now "All Right Now" is a song by English rock band Free. It originally appeared on the band's third album '' Fire and Water'' (1970), which Free recorded on the Island Records label, formed by Chris Blackwell. Released as the album's second single, ...

", and concluded with a cover of

Robert Johnson Robert Leroy Johnson (May 8, 1911August 16, 1938) was an American blues musician and songwriter. His landmark recordings in 1936 and 1937 display a combination of singing, guitar skills, and songwriting talent that has influenced later generat ...

's "

Crossroads Crossroads, crossroad, cross road or similar may refer to: * Crossroads (junction), where four roads meet Film and television Films * ''Crossroads'' (1928 film), a 1928 Japanese film by Teinosuke Kinugasa * ''Cross Roads'' (film), a 1930 Brit ...

". *

Donovan Donovan Phillips Leitch (born 10 May 1946), known mononymously as Donovan, is a Scottish musician, songwriter, and record producer. He developed an eclectic and distinctive style that blended folk, jazz, pop, psychedelic rock and world musi ...

: He first performed an acoustic set, and then an electric set with his band Open Road. * Pentangle: British folk band. A German woman interrupted their set to deliver a political message to the audience. *

The Moody Blues The Moody Blues were an English rock band formed in Birmingham in 1964, initially consisting of keyboardist Mike Pinder, multi-instrumentalist Ray Thomas, guitarist Denny Laine, drummer Graeme Edge and bassist Clint Warwick. The group c ...

: A popular British act and veterans of the 1969 festival. Their rendition of "

Nights in White Satin "Nights in White Satin" is a song by the Moody Blues, written and composed by Justin Hayward. It was first featured as the segment "The Night" on the album '' Days of Future Passed''. When first released as a single in 1967, it reached number 19 ...

" can be seen in ''

''. Their set is featured on ''Threshold of A Dream Live at the Isle of Wight 1970''. * Jethro Tull: Their set is featured on '' Nothing Is Easy: Live at the Isle of Wight 1970''. During Sunday morning the audience were entertained by a rehearsal/sound-check by Jethro Tull. * Jimi Hendrix: Performed in the early hours of 31 August with

Mitch Mitchell John Graham "Mitch" Mitchell (9 July 194612 November 2008)In his book about the Experience, Mitchell states he celebrated his 21st birthday while on tour on 9 July 1967, which makes his birth year 1946.Mitchell's obituaries in '' Billboard' '' ...

on drums and

Billy Cox William Cox (born October 18, 1941) is an American bassist, best known for performing with Jimi Hendrix. Cox is the only surviving musician to have regularly played with Hendrix: first with the experimental group that backed Hendrix at Woodsto ...

on bass. Throughout Hendrix was beset by technical problems (during "

Machine Gun A machine gun is a fully automatic, rifled autoloading firearm designed for sustained direct fire with rifle cartridges. Other automatic firearms such as automatic shotguns and automatic rifles (including assault rifles and battle rifl ...

" the security personnel's radio is clearly heard through Hendrix's amplifier). David Gilmour claims to have helped mix the sound that night. The set has been released on CD and video in various forms. "Power to Love", "Midnight Lightning" and "

Foxy Lady "Foxy Lady" (or alternatively "Foxey Lady") is a song by the Jimi Hendrix Experience. It first appeared on their 1967 debut album '' Are You Experienced'' and was later issued as their third single in the U.S. with the alternate spelling. It is ...

" received top billing on the album ''The First Great Rock Festivals of the Seventies''. *

: Her version of "

Let It Be Let It Be most commonly refers to: * ''Let It Be'' (Beatles album), the Beatles' final studio album, released in 1970 * "Let It Be" (Beatles song), the title song from the album It may also refer to: Film and television * ''Let It Be'' (1970 ...

" can be seen in the film ''

''. *

: Backed by his band the Army, his tune "Suzanne" can be seen in the film ''

''. "Tonight Will Be Fine" were included on the album ''The First Great Rock Festivals of the Seventies''. In October 2009, audio and video (both DVD and Blu-ray) recording of his set, '' Live at the Isle of Wight 1970'' was released. *

: The musician who opened

closed this festival with a set during the morning of 31 August. As Havens performed his version of "

Here Comes the Sun "Here Comes the Sun" is a song by the English rock band the Beatles from their 1969 album ''Abbey Road''. It was written by George Harrison and is one of his best-known compositions. Harrison wrote the song in early 1969 at the country house o ...

", a cloudy dawn broke after four days of cloudless sky, so he changed the lyrics to "Here Comes the Dawn". Havens' set, which is available as an audience recording, also included "

Maggie's Farm "Maggie's Farm" is a song written by Bob Dylan, recorded on January 15, 1965, and released on the album '' Bringing It All Back Home'' on March 22 of that year. Like many other Dylan songs of the 1965–66 period, "Maggie's Farm" is based on elect ...

" by

, "Freedom", "Minstrel from Gault" and the

Hare Krishna Hare Krishna may refer to: * International Society for Krishna Consciousness, a group commonly known as "Hare Krishnas" or the "Hare Krishna movement" * Hare Krishna (mantra), a sixteen-word Vaishnava mantra also known as the "Maha Mantra" (Great ...

mantra. ; Canvas City performances :*

Hawkwind Hawkwind are an English rock band known as one of the earliest space rock groups. Since their formation in November 1969, Hawkwind have gone through many incarnations and have incorporated many different styles into their music, including ha ...

(on Thursday) :*

Pink Fairies Pink Fairies are an English rock band initially active in the London (Ladbroke Grove) underground and psychedelic scene of the early 1970s. They promoted free music, drug use, and anarchy, and often performed impromptu gigs and other stunts, ...

(on Thursday) :* T2 On the bill, but did not perform: *

Cat Mother Cat Mother and The All Night Newsboys was an American musical group, originally formed in New York and later based in Mendocino, California, most active in the late 1960s and early 1970s. History Cat Mother and The All Night Newsboys was co-fou ...

Spirit Spirit or spirits may refer to: Liquor and other volatile liquids * Spirits, a.k.a. liquor, distilled alcoholic drinks * Spirit or tincture, an extract of plant or animal material dissolved in ethanol * Volatile (especially flammable) liquids, ...

The Everly Brothers The Everly Brothers were an American rock duo, known for steel-string acoustic guitar playing and close harmony singing. Consisting of Isaac Donald "Don" Everly (February 1, 1937 – August 21, 2021) and Phillip "Phil" Everly (January 19, 193 ...

* Redbone *

Mungo Jerry Mungo Jerry are a British rock band, formed by Ray Dorset in Ashford, Middlesex in 1970. Experiencing their greatest success in the early 1970s, with a changing lineup always fronted by Ray Dorset, the group's biggest hit was " In the Summerti ...

Films and albums

''The First Great Rock Festivals of the Seventies'' (1971)

This three-LP set on CBS Records devoted the first disk to Second Annual Atlanta International Pop Festival, and two disks to the later Isle of Wight.

Teo Macero Attilio Joseph "Teo" Macero (October 30, 1925 – February 19, 2008) was an American jazz saxophonist, composer, and record producer. He was a producer at Columbia Records for twenty years. Macero produced Miles Davis' '' Bitches Brew'', and ...

is credited as the producer for the Isle of Wight disks. It featured in order billed: Jimi Hendrix, Sly and the Family Stone, Ten Years After, Miles Davis, Kris Kristofferson, Procol Harum, Cactus, Leonard Cohen and David Bromberg.

''Message to Love: The Isle of Wight Festival''

All the performances at the festival were professionally filmed by award-winning film director

Murray Lerner Murray Lerner (May 8, 1927 – September 2, 2017) was an American documentary and experimental film director and producer. Career Lerner was born May 8, 1927, in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania to Nacham and Goldie (Levine) Lerner. Murray's father ...

. with a view to releasing a documentary film but due to financial difficulties, nothing was released until 27 years after the event. Finally, Lerner distilled material from the festival into the film ''

: The Isle of Wight Festival'' which was premiered at a San Jose film festival in 1995 and released in 1997. A CD of the soundtrack was also issued by Castle Communications/Sony Legacy in 1997. The film puts a negative slant on the 1970 event by splicing in footage of violent incidents preceding the festival itself. Chief Constable,

Hampshire Constabulary The Hampshire and Isle of Wight Constabulary is the territorial police force responsible for policing the counties of Hampshire and the Isle of Wight in South East England.Hampshire Constabulary, 2012 Retrieved 27 April 2012 The force area ...

, Sir Douglas Osmond emphasised the peaceful nature of the event in his evidence given to the Stevenson Report, 1971 (submitted to parliament as evidence in favour of future Isle of Wight Festivals). By the end of the festival, the press representatives became almost desperate for material and they seemed a little disappointed that the patrons had been so well behaved.

Other films and albums

* "''Let The World Wash In''" by "I Luv Wight" was the festival official theme song that was soon replaced with "''Amazing Grace"'' by "The Great Awakening" A number of other performances were later released on various formats: VHS, LaserDisc, cassette tape, CD, DVD, Blu-ray & Vinyl records: * The Who: '' Live at the Isle of Wight Festival 1970'' (1996 – 2 CD) (2004 – 3 x Vinyl LP) '' Listening to You'' (1996)(1998)(2004) (1 LaserDisk/1 DVD/1 Blu-ray) * Emerson, Lake & Palmer: '' Live at the Isle of Wight Festival 1970'' (1997) (1 CD) ''The Birth of a Band:'' (2006) (1 DVD/ 2-Sided Disc: CD+DVD) * Jimi Hendrix: '' Blue Wild Angel: Live at the Isle of Wight'' (2002) 3 x Vinyl LP, (2014) (2 CD/1 DVD/1 Blu-ray) * Jimi Hendrix: (1990) "''At the Isle of Wight''" VHS, LaserDisc, CD (1971) "''Isle of Wight''" (1 x vinyl LP) * Miles Davis: '' Miles Electric: A Different Kind of Blue'' (2004) (1 DVD) (2009) "''Isle of Wight''" CD n°39 from "The Complete Columbia Album Collection" boxset * Miles Davis: (1987) "''Isle of Wight''" 1 x Vinyl LP, (2011) "''Bitches Brew Live''" 2 x Vinyl LP, (2007) "''Isle of Wight concert''" (Unofficial release) 1 x Vinyl LP) * Jethro Tull: '' Nothing Is Easy: Live at the Isle of Wight 1970'' (2005) (1 DVD/ 1CD/ 2 x Vinyl LP) (2002) "''By a Benefit of Wight''" (1 CD) Unofficial release * Free: ''Free Forever'' (2006) (2 DVD) () * Free "''Live at the Isle of Wight Festival 30/08/70''" Fan club release 1 x CD 2 bonus track from the 1969 festival – (2019) "''Live at the Isle of Wight 1970''" (1 x CD 1 x Vinyl LP) * The Moody Blues: '' Threshold of a Dream: Live at the Isle of Wight Festival 1970'' (2009) (1 CD/1 DVD/1 Blu-ray) (2008) (1 x Vinyl LP) * Leonard Cohen: '' Leonard Cohen: Live at the Isle of Wight 1970'' (2009) (1 CD/1 DVD/1 Blu-ray 2 x Vinyl LP) * Taste: ''What's Going on: Live at the Isle of Wight 1970'' (2015) (1 CD/1 DVD/1 Blu-ray 2 x Vinyl LP) (1971) "'' Live at the Isle of Wight''" 1 x Vinyl LP release on CD in 1992 * The Doors: '' Live at the Isle of Wight Festival 1970'' (2018) (1 CD/1 DVD/ 1 Blu-ray, (2019) 2 x Vinyl LP Ltd edition of 11,000) * The Doors Unofficial release: (1982) "''Get Fat And Die''" 1 x Vinyl LP, "''First Flah of Eden''" 1 x Vinyl LP, (2009) "''When The Music's Over''" 1 x Vinyl LP, (2011) "''Last Screams of the Butterfly''" 2 x Vinyl LP, (1997) "''Palace of Exile''" (1 x CD) * Jim Morrison: "''The Ultimate Collected Spoken Words 1967–1970''" 2 x CD – CD 1 track 2 The Isle of Wight Festival Interview (in full) also available on vinyl LP (2020) * Joni Mitchell: ''Both Sides Now. Live at the Isle of Wight Festival 1970'' (2018) (1 DVD, 1 Blu-ray) * Chicago: (2018) "''Live at the Isle of Wight Festival''" 2 x Vinyl LP, "''Live Chicago''" (VI Decades Live) 4 x CD + 1 x DVD boxset (CD 1&2 recorded at the Festival. * Tony Joe White: (2006) "''Swamp Music''" 4 x CD Boxset Ltd edition to 5000 with 1 CD containing 5 songs recorded at the Festival. * Terry Reid: (2004) "''Silver White Light''" Live at Isle of Wight 1970, 1 x CD * Donovan unofficial release: (year unknown) "''Diving For Pearls In The Sea''" Volume2, 3 x CD set with booklet, Disc 1: With Open Road The Complete Isle of Wight August 30, 1970. * Sly & the Family Stone: (2013) "''Higher''" 4 x CD set, CD 3, 4 tracks recorded live from the Isle of Wight, "''I Want to Take You Higher''" Numbered Ltd edition 1 x Vinyl LP. * Coca-Cola Bullshit: (1970) 1 x Vinyl LP (unofficial), Side A: Kralingen (Rotterdam June 1970) Side B: Isle of Wight: 1 ''Melanie, Birthday of the Rain'' 2 ''Fairfeild Parlour, Soldiers of Flesh'' (credited as: Taste, Soldiers of Flash) 3 ''Joan Baez, Joe Hill'' 4 ''Ten Years After, Sweet Sixteen'' 5 ''Joni Mitchell, Real Good For Free'' 6 ''Tiny Tim, Two Time a Day/Loveship'' * Kralingen – Isle of Wight: 1 x Vinyl LP (unofficial), Side A: Kralingen (Rotterdam June 1970) Side B: Isle of Wight: 1 ''Jethro Tull, Bouree'' – 2 ''The Doors, Break on Through'' – 3 ''Richie Havens, I'm a Stranger Here'' – 4 ''Arrival, Not Right Now'' 5 ''Jimi Hendrix, God Save the Queen/Sgt Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band/Spanish Castle Magic''
Extremes
(2017
1 CD + bonus DVD
Festival scenes: "''Welcome to the Isle of Wight Music Festival''" (10mn), "''Naughty Naked People Celebrate Being Alive on the Beach ''" (5mn), "''Meanwhile, Back at the Isle of Wight''" (4mn), "''Dancing in the Sea, Letting It All Hang Out''" (9mn) Other audience/soundboard recordings in different audio formats are circulating, among others are: Ten Years After, John Sebastian, Joan Baez, Richie Havens, Joni Mitchell, Procol Harum, Family, Kris Kristofferson, Pentangle ...

Influence

The founders/main instigators of the

Glastonbury Glastonbury (, ) is a town and civil parish in Somerset, England, situated at a dry point on the low-lying Somerset Levels, south of Bristol. The town, which is in the Mendip district, had a population of 8,932 in the 2011 census. Glastonb ...

(1971), Windsor (1972–74) and

Stonehenge Stonehenge is a prehistoric monument on Salisbury Plain in Wiltshire, England, west of Amesbury. It consists of an outer ring of vertical sarsen standing stones, each around high, wide, and weighing around 25 tons, topped by connecting ...

(1974)

Free Festival Free festivals are a combination of music, arts and cultural activities, for which often no admission is charged, but involvement is preferred. They are identifiable by being multi-day events connected by a camping community without centralised c ...

s were all at IOW 1970, respectively

Andrew Kerr Andrew Kerr IV (October 7, 1878 – February 17, 1969) was an American football, basketball, and track and field coach. He served as the head football coach at Stanford University (1922–1923), Washington & Jefferson College (1926–1928), ...

Ubi Dwyer Ubi or UBI may refer to: Organizations * Ubisoft (Euronext: UBI), a video game publisher and developer * ''União Brasileira pro Interlingua'', the national Interlingua organization in Brazil, see Brazilian Union for Interlingua * University o ...

and

Wally Hope Philip Alexander Grahame Russell (9 August 1947 — 3 September 1975), known as Wally Hope, was an experimental philosopher of the UK Underground and organiser of the Windsor Free Festival and the Stonehenge Free Festival. Biography Activities ...

, inspired by the anarchistic nature of the breakdown of control by the original organisation and the subsequent freedom of the last days of the event. For the 50th anniversary of the event, a re-enactment was scheduled in the same location, with John Lodge, Ten Years After, Pentangle, The Pretty Things and

Nik Turner Nicholas Robert Turner (26 August 1940 – 10 November 2022) was an English musician, best known as a member of space rock pioneers Hawkwind. Turner played saxophone and flute, as well as being a vocalist and composer. While with Hawkwind, ...

all confirmed. However, this was postponed due to the coronavirus pandemic.https://www.experience1970.com/

Publications

* The Last Great Event: ''with Jimi Hendrix & Jim Morrison'', b
Ray Foulk
(Organiser) & Caroline Foulk, 364 pages, Medina Publishing 2016, Hardback & Paperback * Nights in Wight Satin: "''An illustrated history of the Isle of Wight festivals''" (1968,1969 & 1970) by Brian Hinton, 72 pages, 1990 – * Message To Love: "''The Isle of Wight Festivals 1968 – 1969 – 1970''", by Brian Hinton, 191 pages, 1995 – * The Last Great Event: "''The 1970 Isle of Wight Festival''" by Chris Weston, 152 pages, Ltd edition of 950 copies, Privately Published 2009 * Six Days That Rocked The World: "''Isle of Wight Festival 1970''" by Bob Aylott, (40th anniversary 1970 – 2010), 144 pages, Ltd edition of 1000 copies, 2009 The Press Photographers Galery �
My Best Seller Isle of Wight Festival 1970

I Luv Wight:
"''The Isle of Wight Festival 1970''", "''The Band – The Theme Song – The Broken Dream''" by Peter Daltrey, 119 pages, 2012 Chelsea Records Book Division * Isle of Wight 1970: "''The Last Great Festival''" A picture record by Rod Allen,published September 1970 by Clipper Press, London. * Festival de Wight: "
Un Festival de Légende
'" by Bernard Rouan (photographer) Hardback photo book (400 copies) – 80 b/w full page photos, 96 pages, 2016 Édition des Galeries & Musées * Rocking the Isle of Wight: "''How Three Totland Brothers Invented The British Rock Festival''" By Alan Stroud and Tom Stroud. limited edition softback, 272 pages including 32 pages of unpublished colour photographs. 2020 Now and Then Books * The Cameron Life Festival Experience: "''1970 IoW Music Festival 40th Anniversary Exhibition Catalogue''" A personal photographic account of the 1970 Isle of Wight Festival. Limited edition 1000 copies, 18 pages, 59 colour photographs by Charles Everest. Copyright © 2010 Cameronlif
Link:
* Isle of Wight 1970: "''The View From The Crowd''" By Alan Stroud and Tom Stroud. Limited edition softback, 136 pages photo album containing over 120 large format colour photos. 2021 Now and Then Books

References

External links

Cameronlife photo library

Memorabilia from the Original Isle of Wight Festivals 1968-69-70
{{coord, 50.676, N, 1.489, W, type:mountain_region:GB-IOW, display=title History of the Isle of Wight

1970 Events January * January 1 – Unix time epoch reached at 00:00:00 UTC. * January 5 – The 7.1 Tonghai earthquake shakes Tonghai County, Yunnan province, China, with a maximum Mercalli intensity of X (''Extreme''). Between 10,000 and 1 ...

1970 in British music 1970 in England Counterculture festivals 20th century on the Isle of Wight 1970 music festivals August 1970 events in the United Kingdom